Just a Nightmare
by LuxAve
Summary: Hiro wants it to be a nightmare. This has to be a nightmare.


Disclaimer: I don't own this. (I hope that's obvious...)

(=====)

Hiro Hamada stood next to his older brother, following Tadashi's example, leaned up against the railing of the bridge. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Hiro gave his brother a small, thankful smile. "So, uh, thanks… for not giving up on me."

Tadashi was about to answer but a loud, piercing buzzing alarm sounded through the once peaceful air. Both boys turned and took off towards the chaos that started. They dodged people coming toward them, ducking, twisting, bouncing off the SFIT students running away.

When the two came around the corner, they saw the exhibition hall, the school building they were just in not too long ago, up in flames. And it wasn't a small fire. Everything was being burned, not part of the building seemed to be untouched by flame.

"Are you alright?" Hiro heard Tadashi ask a young woman who was trying to run, but kept stumbling, wheezing with every intake of breath.

She nodded. "But professor Callaghan is still in there." She motioned to the fiery building before scurrying away.

Hiro took his eyes off his brother for not two seconds, to watch the woman make away, and Tadashi took off toward the building.

"Tadashi!" The younger cried out, taking off after his brother. Somehow he managed to catch up and grab Tadashi's arm. "Tadashi! Don't!" Hiro pleaded, his eyes holding the emotion ten-fold. "You can't go in there!"

"Callaghan is still in there." Tadashi partially turned to his sibling. "Somebody has to help."

Hiro gripped the arm in his hand harder. "Leave that to a professional! Someone who is trained to run into burning buildings!"

Tadashi shook his head. "There's no time to wait, Hiro." His voice frantic, both trying to explain and being rushed out. He managed to pull himself from his little brother's hold and sprinted into the building, his lucky hat flying off in the process. Within seconds, he disappeared into the flames that licked their way up the side of the hall.

"TADASHI!" Hiro cried out in vain, trying to call his brother back to him. "TADASHI!" He noticed the hat on the ground a few feet ahead of him. He shuffled up to the fashion accessory that his brother always wore. He held it in a death grip as he backed up to his previous spot. His brown eyes never once left the inferno in front of him, praying for his older brother to come back out.

A loud crack was audible as something fell in the deteriorating building.

"TADASHI!" Hiro was freely crying now, a bad, sinking feeling blossomed in his chest, closing his airway, numbing his body while his mind jumbled thoughts and his heart raced.

_BOOM!_

_SWOOSH!_

Something inside the school hall exploded, pushing it way outside, forcing a powerful gust of air out; it knocked anything over in it's path, including Hiro's tiny body. The boy flew back a good yard or two, smacking his head on the concrete and caused him to black out for a good moment.

He opened his brown eyes, blinking at the building, and noticed it was quickly collapsing.

Trapping Tadashi inside, burying him in debris and flame.

Silent tears fell from Hiro's eyes, sprinting down his cheeks like they were having a race. "Ta-" He began but choked when he tried to breath. "Tadashi!" His cry wasn't as loud as he wanted it to be. Nothing he could do would be loud enough to reach his brother.

(=====)

He gasped awake, flailing his arms about as he jackknifed into a sitting position. He leaned his back against the headboard, trying to catch his breath. He ran a shaking hand through the sweaty mess that was his hair, pushing his bangs back and out of his eyes, pretty sure pieces were sticking straight up, more so than usual.

He didn't realize he was crying until his breath caught in his throat, making him hiccup. He dragged his hand from his hair and down his face trying to wipe the tears off, but they fell too fast, so he just let them be.

He glanced over at Tadashi's side of the room. His first thought was 'I hope I didn't wake him up'. But then his 'oh-so-real' dream flashed in his mind. Instantly, he sprang up and was across the room before he could bat a lash. Quietly, he moved the partition and peeked in to his brother's bed.

It was empty.

His knees felt weak as soon as the he saw his brother wasn't there, but he managed to make his way to the empty bed before he started hyperventilating.

'He can't be gone. He can't be gone.' Hiro's mind screamed at him. 'He isn't stupid enough to run into a burning building.' But his mind also started telling him that kind of sounds like something Tadashi would do, to try to save someone else; the selfless bastard.

Hiro wrapped his arms around himself as he tried to calm his breathing down, at the same time trying to be quiet so he didn't wake Aunt Cass. But he couldn't breathe right, taking too much air in and not letting enough out. He closed his eyes and tried one of those counting breathing exercises.

It wasn't working.

Suddenly, arms that weren't his wrapped around his body and pulled him against someone else.

"Shh." Someone gently shushed, softly rocking their bodies in a comforting motion.

Thinking the person was Aunt Cass, Hiro tried to push away and tell her he was fine and go back to bed. But the grip held fast. He cracked open his eyes to glare at Aunt Cass for wasting time trying to comfort him, but the glare melted away when he saw the person was Tadashi.

In the blink of an eye, Hiro attached himself to his older brother's body, trying to get as close to him as Hiro possibly could. Wrapping his arms around Tadashi's neck, and practically suffocating himself with the elder's chest, he cried. But this was a relief cry. Tadashi wasn't dead.

The grip never faltered around the smaller body as Tadashi shifted to lean against the wall and headboard, making sure Hiro was completely on the bed. He pulled his baby brother even closer. "Shh." He cooed again. "It's alright." He leaned his head against Hiro's and reached over to wipe the tears away and off the boy's cheeks.

It took a number of moments, but listening to Tadashi's breathing, Hiro was able to calm his own down, and for the most part, stop crying. 'Tadashi is safe. He is here. He is here and he is safe. It was just a nightmare.' He thought as he listened to his brother's heartbeat in his ear; it was strong and it was healthy. 'Tadashi is here. It was just a nightmare. Tadashi is here.'

Hiro sighed and moved to lean his head in the crook of Tadashi's neck, but still refusing to let go.

(=====)

"Are you alright?" The older of the two quietly broke the silence that fell around the room.

Hiro shrugged.

"Wanna talk about it?" Tiredness laced through Tadashi's voice as he bit back a yawn.

At first, Hiro didn't answer, but did after a beat of hesitation. "Please don't go into any burning buildings." He sniffled. "Please don't leave me alone."

Tadashi nodded slowly, trying to connect the dots until he had a vague idea. "I won't." He verbally assured the young teen. "I won't leave you. I won't go into any burning buildings."

"Promise?" Came the muffled question.

"I wont even go near any sort of flame." The elder vowed. "I promise."

Hiro tried to snuggle closer. "Thank you." He gave his brother a squeeze hug before closing his eyes.

"Anything for you, Hiro." Tadashi muttered into his brother's hair before he kissed his head. "Anything for you."

(====)

I haven't seen the movie yet, I just watched videos on youtube. Repeatedly. If I got anything wrong, sorry doll.


End file.
